Some Call SCS Retirement Incentive “Stunning”

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(Shelby County) There is a chance Shelby County Schools teachers can make some extra money by announcing they are going to retire.

SCS is asking teachers who can announce they are retiring early to do it so the district can post their jobs.

It is not an easy job looking after and teaching our children, but teachers in Shelby County do it everyday.

When it comes to retirement, the SCS district said it is hard finding someone to fill their shoes.

They put out a letter asking teachers planning for retirement to let them know early.

WREG asked the Memphis Education Association what they thought.

"Supposedly, it's an incentive to retire early or to at least notify the district of your plans to retire so that they can staff schools more adequately or properly," Keith Williams, President of Memphis Education Association, said.

The incentive can add up to $600.00 as long as teachers are out of the door by the end of the school year.

The total did not sit well with Williams.

"It is stunning you would think that people would sacrifice their career -- their professional career -- for $600 total," Williams explained.

Although the cash does not add up to a large amount of money, it is not hard for teachers to come up empty handed.

The letter states the following:

"...the use of one sick day between April 7 and the last day of school disqualifies a teacher from this incentive."

"It should be more rewarding and it certainly should not be punitive," Williams said. "To say even if you do this, now you are bound to come to school and not miss days."

The school district will spend the days after the announcement looking for new teachers.

"This is just another assault on teachers in this district and in this state, another way to belittle this profession, and another way to say your service is just not valued and not valuable," Williams concluded.

A SCS spokesperson responded with the following statement Thursday afternoon:

This is not designed to encourage retirement. It's an incentive for people who are already planning to retire to notify the district early.

The deadline for teachers to announce their early retirement is April 25th.